My Experience Only. YMMV.

I set out Friday to drive from Ohio to Michigan – about a 3-4 hour drive, depending on traffic.

Five miles out, the Saturn stopped working. Called husband and AAA. Towed to local mechanic. Probably bad clutch.

So we switched my luggage to my husband’s Blazer. About 30-40 miles away from home, car stopped working. Called cell phone emergency road service. Towed to nearest garage. No idea what’s wrong with it, or if the random mechanic is any good.

So my husband picked me up and put my luggage in the back of his ’84 pickup. Halfway home, the radiator blew. I had a meltdown. Called AAA. Towed home. Had pizza delivered.

That’s it on the vehicles. Not even a bicycle left.

Also, there is No Money, except maybe enough to pay the mortgage and health insurance for February.

I have my Abilify, but it hasn’t kicked in yet.

A couple of friends suggested that this was the universe’s way of telling me not to go to Michigan, thereby avoiding something even more heinous that would happen there.

My questions regarding this theory are:

Did the universe really want us both stranded at home, with no way to get to the store or pharmacy, or for that matter, to the other cars?

Did the universe really want Dan to miss more work and lose more pay, especially since he lost nearly a month’s pay going to stay with his mother while she recovered from surgery?

Did the universe really want us to invest yet more money in the cars, when we just bought two of them new wheel bearings?

My answer: No.

The universe is not conspiring against us. This is not divine retribution for a life of sin. This is not bad karma because I was a cannibalistic serial killer in a past life. This was not caused by some higher power that knew I shouldn’t go to Michigan because the place where I was going to stay would spontaneously burst into flames in the middle of the night.

But sometimes it sure feels like it.

I believe there is no larger “because.” Just the fact that we have crappy vehicles and can’t afford the upkeep.

I have no idea what to do, except go to bed, finish having my meltdown, and stay there till the Abilify revs up.

I don’t think the universe cares! But we’re just fortunate if at least one or two people in our lives truly care about us. And I know this is cliche, but when things are bad I hold on to the hope that they will get better, and that I’ll come out the other side a stronger person.